Faithful Heart Family

Two sweet peas

Pastor Dave back in the saddle

Greetings from Thailand!  

I was talking to Joy, our Assistant Director at Faithful Heart a few weeks before Christmas and we started reminiscing about everything that happened last year.  

It is easy to get so caught up in the day to day work, that we don't take time to step back and observe the whole.  

We both felt a certain amount of pride and gratitude in what was accomplished at Faithful Heart this year.  

I try to begin each year by challenging our staff to seek to grow individually, and for all of us to seek to grow together as an organization.  If you have ever seen the triangle graphic, each part is moving toward Christ, and thus all of us are also moving nearer to each other at the same time.  

Life doesn't have to always be full of major changes, but steady, consistent growth is important individually and organizationally.  

This month, Audrey and I marked our 9th year in Thailand and at Faithful Heart.  

We have so much to be grateful for, but one thing that comes to mind often is our staff and how little turn over we have had at Faithful Heart.  

We often say we believe God brought the right people at just the right time, and that has made all the difference.  

As we continue to change and adjust, seeking to better serve our children and families, I am continually grateful for the incredible, dedicated people we work alongside.  

Dave and Shirley going with our Family Strengthening Crew

Office Staff

2023 was a big year for us. 

In many ways, it was less turbulent than some of the previous years. 
No Covid emergency, no major new projects or transitions.  

By nature, I am not a person who likes constant change. 
I like habits and routines in my work life as well as in my personal life.  

But make no mistake 2023 was a year of growth, personally and organizationally.  

As a foundation, we set a number of goals back in January of 2023 and we have met or exceed virtually all of them.  

We wanted to increase the number of families we were supporting in our Family Strengthening program from 40 to 50.  We currently support over 60 families.  

We wanted to increase our outside college scholarships from 20 to 30. 
We gave out over 40.

We wanted to begin looking for a new social case worker who could help with the growing Family Strengthening project.

This month one of our house fathers, and our most senior staff member Tom, has accepted an additional part time position working as part of our social work team.  

We are so excited to have him start in this new role. 
He brings a lot of wisdom and experience working with children. 
It is also a big help to have a man on our mainly female team.  

Our newest member, Briony

Praising God for Benjamin and Chokdee's successful kidney transplant

Home of Light boys have grown so much

Numbers certainly aren't everything, especially when you are working with people.  

We want quality and quantity.  
But we are grateful to God and all of you, who have allowed us to reach more children, families and students in 2023 than any previous year.  

Faithful Heart is a very small social work nonprofit in Chiang Mai that has been operating for over 16 years.  

There is often a temptation to think that bigger is always better. 
After all, its for God, right?  

It is something I try to keep in perspective. 

The best way to serve God's Kingdom is not necessarily with the largest tasks, but the tasks we are given.  

Oscar Romero said we are laborers, not master builders.  We ought to aim to do the work God has given us to the best of our ability, rather than to do the "biggest" thing we can think of for God.  

If the architect tells us to build a 4 foot wall in a certain place, but we think the house would be better with a 10ft wall in another location, we are hindering rather than helping his work.  

Pound family!

Pii Pen's beautiful family

Our volunteer for 2023 Joelie Tardy!

Which brings me to our theme for 2024: listening.    

There is so much activity in Chiang Mai. 
It is a literal hive of projects seeking to help others.  
What is less clear is whose activity it is, and how beneficial it actually is.  

Sometimes it is essential to listen to instructions carefully before you begin working. 
And often it is equally essential to listen to corrections along the way.

That is what we mean by listening.  

Because we aren't always sure what is the best thing to do, or the best way to do it.

So we ask God, and we try to listen.  

Yesterday, we were made aware of major and serious issues at one of the largest and most well funded children's homes in our city (they recently were given millions of dollars). 

It is a sobering reminder that bigger is not always better, and it is more important to do something small well, than to have huge projects done poorly.  

Home of Faith

The staff!

Yiu finished her Master's Degree and we are all so proud

One of my favorite verses for this topic comes as a kind of obituary for King David in the book of Acts:

"And after he had served the purpose of God in his generation, he fell asleep..."

It is a very short summary of a whole life, but it is an obituary I would be content with. 
That is something I try to apply personally as well as organizationally.  

What is God's purpose for me right now?
What is God's purpose for Faithful Heart right now?
Are we doing our best to fulfill that purpose as far we as can see and understand?

We may still get it wrong.  
But it makes a world of difference if we are open and listening, versus stubborn and closed.  

This is tremendously comforting to remember.  

It means the massive problems we are trying to tackle, like poverty, broken families, child trauma, etc. are not our responsibility to resolve.  

Because we believe God is already working on these things, our task is to say to him: 

"How can we assist you in what you are doing, in our little corner of the world, with the means you have given us?"

Home of Grace Boys are growing too

Family Strengthening

Sometimes the answer may be like Moses or Abraham----"Go do something beyond your scope or ability, and I will be with you to help you."

Sometimes the answer may be like Namaan---"Go do something simple and small in faith."

Joy pointed out to me that in 2023 we supported more children than we have ever reached in a single year before. 

It was in a different form than our traditional model in the past, but it is still something to give thanks for and celebrate.   

The numbers are encouraging, but I am more interested in the bigger question:
Have we fulfilled God's purpose for us on 2023?

Are we listening to His voice heading into 2024? 

Depending on which day you ask me, and how tired or energized I am feeling; I may want to hear Moses' word or Namaan's. 

I like tell people that in our time in Thailand, God has filled our lives with blessings, but almost always in such a way that we could not take any credit for it.  

We participated to be sure, but we did not produce.  

The most significant, joyful experiences in our time at Faithful Heart came at a time, and through means that had very little to do with us or our particular efforts.  

This is the joy of the laborer who knows he isn't the Master Builder.  

Its good and tasty having Nana here :-)

Dave and Shirley's welcoming party at the airport!

We aren't in charge. 
This isn't our plan or purpose.

We work with our bricks everyday doing the best we can to lay them straight and level and strong.  Periodically, it helps if we step back and stand amazed at the building rising before our eyes---the combination not merely of our own efforts, but of many, and most of all, of God.  

Beautiful beyond our imagination, scope, ability or planning.  

Our hearts fill for a moment with a healthy pride. 
"We have contributed.  Our work has helped bring about this beautiful, good thing!"

Now, if I can just avoid the temptation to compare or measure my work against the work of the others I can savor that joy without envy, insecurity, or arrogance.  

Because "Comparison is the thief of joy"     (Teddy Roosevelt)

While we rejoice in helping more children and families, there is also some grief in seeing some of our children growing up and moving on.  

As our model of care changes, we lose some of the personal connections we had with our kids, and that can be hard.  

One of the great sacrifices love makes is to put aside its own desires to pursue the best for another. 

Sienna has a nail salon

Motorcycle trip was incredible

Tiida is one of the strongest people I know

Every parent who raises their child to be able to live independently of them does this.  

Creating dependence can feel good. 
We want to be needed, and to be able to help others makes us feel better about ourselves.  

But there is a higher love that will allow itself to be put aside, so the beloved can thrive, with or without us.  

I hope my children always love me, but I also hope they can live successful, faithful lives on their own one day, with or without me.   

I think love that is seen and reciprocated is a good thing. 
But there is a special love that can give without being seen or reciprocated that is Divine.  

It is a one-way love, (like a one-way street) that requires no return.    

Wii-rat cried the first time she saw white people, but we won her over towards the end :-)

Motorcycles = happiness

So glad to have Dave and Shirley Callahan back in Thailand--- the founders of Faithful Heart Foundation!

I consider you (our donors) this way. 

They don't get the satisfaction of seeing their love reciprocated or returned. 
They are loving into the dark, so to speak.  

I get to see more than you do, since I live closer. 
But even for me, there is much where what is best for the child, is not for me personally to be important to them, but invisibly working on their behalf.  

I cannot be a father to every one of our kids at Faithful Heart. 
Part of me would like to to try to be.  

But what would better serve them (and me) would be to help find fathers who have the time and capacity to be true fathers to each of them.  

My brother Jay recently reminded me of John the Baptist's words:

"He must increase, I must decrease."

I think I would prefer if he said:

"He must increase, and I shall increase with him!"

Terraced vegetable fields

We love this little guy so much!

Friends who make us Indian food are the best!

Love this family!

But that isn't what he said.  

I want to feel important, significant, like I am making a difference.
That may not be all bad, but it is dangerous.  

What is more important than how I feel, is the welfare of the children and families we are seeking to support.  

It is not always easy to keep those in order.   

I am often troubled by the confidence people here seem to feel in their schemes and ideas.  
It is rare I meet someone who can say openly:

"We are doing the best we can, but I am not sure if it is really working."

This is true of missions and politics and all sorts of other things.  

We become personally invested in our work, and we identify ourselves with our ideas. 

Then an honest critique on our ideas or methods can feel like a personal attack on our person.  

Then it can become a fight or flight reflex.  

And at that point, we aren't open anymore, we aren't listening or thinking, just reacting.  
And in that place, we have forgotten our purpose and vision. 
 
We are defending ourselves, not doing what is best for others.  

Gathering potluck for Dad and Mom

Papa and Nana are here!

Time with Nana

Birthday boating

This happens to us too.  

But there is a better, healthier way.  

We can decrease graciously.  
Or we can increase humbly.
Sometimes both together.  

The key is to keep listening, to keep reminding ourselves what this is about: not feeling significant, not being loved, [we already are] but loving and lifting others as God directs us.  

When we remember those truths, then we can fulfill God's purpose for us in our generation.  

Looking back on 2023 reminds me of a lot of good things, a lot of joyful things, and many painful things.  

That's ok.  

We tried to listen and adjust our ideas and expectations to God's.  

We will try to do the same this year.  

I am growing more skeptical of all human help and wisdom.  
Whether it is politicians, or people who are confident in their own ideas and solutions; if we wish to see things improve, we will need something greater than human effort can produce.  

But if we don't know what to do, we are welcome to ask.  
And God is faithful to answer.

The question is: Are we listening?  Are we still asking?  For today?  For this moment?

Thank you so much to all of you who pray and support us and this work at Faithful Heart. 
Life is not always easy here, but it is so good to live with God.

May we all fulfill His purpose for our lives in our generation!  

Love, 

Matt, Audrey, Ezra, & Sienna  

Baking with Nana

Story time with Papa

Dinners with friends